Penge residents are asking the council to clean up their high street after becoming fed up with bags of rubbish littering the road.

Sahar Awad started a petition, which currently has 410 signatures, after she and other residents decided to make their concerns heard.

Ms Awad, 43, has lived in Penge for 12 years and said: “We have noticed a real deterioration in the state of Penge High Street.

“The number of bin bags that just accumulate, and the problem just seems to be getting worse and worse and has been, probably for about a year.”

News Shopper:

Sahar Awad, Stefano Scarpa, Nuala 11, Sofia 4.

Ms Awad, who lives in Kingswood Road, says that twice weekly collections from Bromley council are not frequent enough.

She believes that the rubbish, coming from flats above shops along the high street, has increased due to a rise in the number of inhabitants but the council have not stepped up their collections.

News Shopper:

Ms Awad said: “The problem is that flats above the shops don’t have any back access so there is nowhere to put communal bins. I can’t understand that the solution is that residents just put up with it and foxes come round and rip up the bags.

“The flats above these shops have got families in them. If you’re a family living in a small flat, who wants piles of rubbish around?"

Comments on the petition show a lot of support for Mrs Awad's campaign.

One commenter wrote: "I struggle with the amount of waste that I have to store for a fortnight. Especially with 2 children in nappies.

"Frequently our rubbish is torn into, and spread around by foxes or cats which is a huge health hazard considering that the rubbish is anything up to 2 weeks old.

"Our council tax should cover responsible removal of waste."

And another said: "Unhygienic and looks awful. Penge deserves better."

Ms Awad said: "We are wondering why Penge in particular is so bad compared to other parts of Bromley.

"We love our high street, we just don’t want to see it this way."

Councillor Colin Smith, Executive Councillor for Environment said, “It is a matter of fact that Penge High Street already receives more waste collections than anywhere else in the Borough, in recognition that some residents locally do not have much internal storage space for their waste, but there is a limit to what can be done. 

"It is also true that certain households are continuing to foul the footway with their rubbish the next day following collection when they shouldn’t be and that practice clearly needs to end. 

"Some thought is already being given to the possibility of communal bins, another possibility could be residents/traders are being issued with multiple fixed penalty notices or even prosecuted for fly-tipping where the evidence permits.

"To that end, it would be helpful and treated in the strictest confidence if residents see this happen, or perhaps spot drivers from passing vehicles offloading bags of rubbish would let the Council know to enable its enforcement team to intervene. 

"Ultimately, the Council can’t be everywhere at once and we are going to need some community champions to step up and be counted locally to work with their fellow neighbours to help spread better practice for the good of all”.